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Why does the epidermis receive nutrients by diffusion from the dermis?
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human skin
Human skin, whose cells are generated continuously by the body, serves as a protective barrier between the inside of the human body and the environment.
The epidermis receives nutrients via diffusion from the dermis because the epidermis itself lacks a blood supply.12
While the dermis is richly supplied with blood and lymph vessels, these vessels do not penetrate the living epidermis. Consequently, the living basal layer of the epidermis, which sits directly upon the dermis, must rely on the movement of materials from the underlying dermal tissue to meet its metabolic needs.132